AKG’s Perception P170 Set pairs up two small-diaphragm condenser microphones with the same detail and clarity from their successful Perception line. The P170 set is designed for use in both studio and live sound environments. Use this stereo pair to capture ensemble recordings, drums, acoustic instruments, and any other application that would benefit from A/B and X/Y stereo miking techniques. The microphone pairs are selected form a large quantity of individual microphones to create pairs capable of stunning and convincing stereo recordings.

FEATURES

Professional Stereo Set for studio and on stage applications

Small diaphragm true condenser microphone with cardioid polar pattern

Switchable 20dB preattenuation pad

Heavy-duty, roadworthy, all-metal construction

Put a pair of P170 condensers over the top of your kit and hear the detail.

I purchased a pair of P170 mics about four years ago, planning to use them in recording for hand percussion (djembe, congas, shaker) and as paired drum overheads, as well as for acoustic guitars. For the economical price, they sound really great - crisp yet warm, can handle transients. They also sound great on a grand piano. There is no bass rolloff switch, but with most decent preamps you have the option of rolling off bass there. Yes, there are way more expensive mics and you can spend a lot of money for extra nuance. But these small diaphragm condenser mics are a worthwhile investment, very useful and versatile, and I think AKG has discontinued them, so best to grab a pair while still in stock with vendors.

I took a chance on these mics and was pleasantly surprised at the warm and open sound they have. Used as drum overheads through a Focusrite preamp, they capture an accurate picture of the kit, with very natural cymbal sounds, clear and open with great transient response and natural sounding decay. You can really feel the sticks hitting the cymbal, too. In addition, the toms and kick come through quite well, and the snare has a nice crack that, when coupled with a close snare mic to capture the body of the snare, sounds quite accuarte to the sound I hear when playing behind the kit. There is a feeling of space around the instruments that I wasn't getting with the previous pair of mics I used, which were more expensive than these. Adding a kick mic brings out the punch of the drum. For more presence on the toms, you may want to close mic them, too. On acoustic guitar, the sound is clear and present, yet warm without being boomy when miced fairly closely at the neck joint. On resonator guitar, micing about 8" above the soundhole, I was able to get a very accurate picture of the guitar that didn't overly accenuate the unwanted pick noise. On ukulele and mandolin, once again, a very natural sound with great transient response and the warmth of the wood body captured very well. I'm very pleased with this purchase.

These turned out to be a little nicer than I thought. At first when I read the specs it seems to me that the 'self noise' was a few db high. But maybe AKG uses a stricter test. these are very quiet. nice and crisp, but warm too. I tried them on vocals and on drum overheads from a very loud drummer. With the 20db pad on, no breakup very clear. These are rated at 155 db before distortion. I can believe it. You probably could mic a snare or tom with these. Note: these do not have a bass rolloff switch.

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